WHO DOES IT BETTER?: A review of conservative pundit home studios

Whether you call it the coronavirus, COVID-19 or as the kids say "The 'Rona," this pandemic has people working from home all across the country. TV pundits are no different and are giving viewers a limited yet quite telling glimpse into their homes and their personalities. A recent Washington Free Beacon article did a review of a several personalities from around the mainstream media so we thought we'd do our own list featuring conservative, libertarian and independent pundits. You really can't go wrong, but who would you want to be locked up with facing an impending coronapocalypse?

MOST LIKELY TO HAWK HIS ART IN CASE GOVERNMENT DEEMS MEDIA NON-ESSENTIAL

Glenn Beck | BlazeTV

MOST LIKELY TO SURVIVE THE LACK OF BARBERS DURING THE LOCKDOWN

Phil Robertson and crew | BlazeTV

MOST LIKELY TO HAVE AN ORIGINAL COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION SEWN INTO THE BACK OF AN AMERICAN FLAG... JUST IN CASE

Mark Levin | BlazeTV

MOST LIKELY TO PLANT GRASS FROM YARD IN A VASE

Ben Shapiro | The Daily Wire

MOST LIKELY TO HAVE A COLOGNE-STOCKED SAFE BEHIND A GIANT PAINTING

Dave Rubin | The Rubin Report/BlazeTV

MOST LIKELY TO BE FEATURED IN A SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Allie Beth Stuckey | BlazeTV

MOST LIKELY TO SHOEHORN HIS SKETCHING ENDEAVORS INTO CONVERSATION

Matt Walsh | The Daily Wire

MOST LIKELY TO BE LIVING IN THE ATTIC

Andrew Klaven | The Daily Wire

MOST LIKELY TO ACCIDENTALLY BURN HIS HOUSE DOWN

Matt Kibbe | BlazeTV

MOST LIKELY TO HAVE FACED HIS VELVET PORTRAIT OF ELVIS THE OTHER WAY

Bubba Bussey | BlazeTV

Top FIVE public figures calling out woke mob

Patrick McDermott / Stringer, Matt Winkelmeyer / Staff, Cooper Neill / Contributor | Getty Images

As Glenn says, there is balance in all things. The further the pendulum swings one way, the stronger the counter-force grows.

For the past decade, the pendulum has been swinging left so fast that it has been hard to keep up with. What's considered progressive and woke one day is suddenly old-fashioned and intolerant the next. Fortunately, many people (such as yourself) have seen the writing on the wall and have taken a stand against the woke mob that drags us closer and closer to tyranny, despite personal risk.

Some of these people have taken a stand despite being in the public eye, at the height of their careers, and having everything to lose. For these people, it would have been easier (not to mention more profitable) to stay quiet, keep their heads down, and do what they're told. But they didn't. Instead, they risked it all to make a stand against wokism. This is where we see the tide turning, the pendulum slowing, and perhaps starting to swing the other way. This is where we begin to take America back.

These are the top five public figures who have recently made a stand against the woke mob:

Harrison Butker

In his now famous commencement address to the graduating class of 2024 at Benedictine College, Kansas City Chief Kicker, Harrison Butker stood up for his religious values (and assumingly, the values of the students at this Catholic College). Butker criticized the president and media for perpetuating "degenerate values" and promoted traditional family values. For this, he was vilified by the media.

Jerry Seinfeld

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has come under fire for defending his values several times over the last several months. During his commencement speech at Duke University that made the rounds on the internet a few weeks ago, Seinfeld was met with protests and walkouts by the pro-Palestine crowd due to his public support of Israel. Seinfeld has also received criticism for an interview with the New Yorker during which he blamed "the extreme left and P.C. crap" for the absence of quality comedy on television.

Joe Mazzulla

The NBA finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics are the hot sporting event at the moment. The head coach of the Celtics, Joe Mazzulla, is an outspoken Catholic and speaks frequently about his faith. In a recent interview, Mazzulla was asked if he felt that it was significant that the head coaches for both teams were black, to which he responded "I wonder how many of those have been Christian coaches?"

Aaron Rodgers

NFL Quarterback Aaron Rodgers caught flack in 2021 for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and going on air to defend his decision. He also criticized "woke culture" for being so easily offended. Rodgers has admitted that he lost money, friends, and media allies on a podcast with Joe Rogan since becoming outspoken about his beliefs. Rogers has continued to be vocal over issues concerning the vaccine and has championed other athletes who have spoken against vaccination.

Russell Brand

UK actor and comedian Russell Brand has faced recent criticism from the mainstream media for speaking his mind on several controversial issues. Brand started during the pandemic when he began posting videos on his YouTube channel that were critical of the way governments across the world were handling the crisis. Since then, Brand has defended his stance on COVID-19, called out woke corporations, and even converted to Christianity.

10 lessons on prepping from around the world

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

Prepping is a human condition practiced across the globe for thousands of years. Customs are influenced by geography, culture, politics, and threat. Here are ten applicable observations on preparedness from around the world.

1. Argentina: Get hard.

Fernando “Ferfal” Aguirre’s The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse is required reading for preppers, and it’s chock-full of real-life lessons from his experiences during Argentina's 2001 economic crisis. But the very first thing he starts with is preparing your body and your mind so you’re not a soft target. Stop being soft. Do difficult things to develop your body and your mind. Go camping. Hit the gym. Get in shape! It’ll do wonders for your health, survivability, and confidence.

Take home point: here’sa simple weightlifting plan that most able-bodied adults can perform. Learn to stand up straight and act confident. Get your dental and health problems fixed while you can—don’t put it off for after stuff hits the fan.

2. Netherlands: Involve the kids!

The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is “Be Prepared” and the organization has taught boys wilderness and practical skills for over 100 years. The Dutch have their own version of inculcating confidence in their children via a cultural tradition known as Dutch Dropping. Kids, starting around the age of 11-12, are dropped off in the forest alone or in small groups at night with minimal gear and instructed to find their way home or to the campsite with ZERO adult assistance. Some nights are tough and miserable, but overall, the practice instills independence, decision-making skills, and is widely practiced.

Take home point: instill grit and self-confidence in your children early.

3. Israel: Always be prepared.

Entire books could be dedicated to the 10/7 attack, but the key takeaway is this: no one saw it coming. The folks attending the Supernova music festival expected a fun party, and what they got instead was hell. Israel is a bit of a special case, but the reality is you never know when a mass shooter or other disaster will strike. Never get too intoxicated, never let your guard down too much, because you never know when your life will change forever.

Take home point: you don’t have to live on hyper-alert (that is grossly unhealthy) but keep your wits about you and have a plan if things go south.

4.Taiwan: Grassroots communities are the best.

I-HWA CHENG / Contributor | Getty Images

Post-COVID and especially after the start of the Russia-Ukraine War, prepping has exploded in Taiwan. Fearing an imminent blockade and invasion, the Taiwanese have recognized their precarious position. Prepper groups have sprung up across the island and vary in their focus from all-hazards to gear geeks to weaponized resistance forces training with airsoft guns. Skills taught are varied; examples include building an emergency kit, learning first aid, and basic survival proficiencies.

However, some groups go much further and provide instruction on military simulations. Participants run the political gamut and are highly varied in their professions, reflecting a massive cross-section of the island. One common theme that appears across these groups is the adage that disaster can happen at any moment and can consist of assorted hazards. The April 2024 severe earthquake is proof positive of this understanding.

Take home point: community resilience is vital!

5. Bosnia: Get your ham radio license.

During the Bosnian War of the early 1990s, ham radio operators like Himzo Devedzija helped separated families stay in touch via radio. These days, the ubiquity of the internet and smartphones has made ham radio seem obsolete, but radio has a key advantage over more modern and user-friendly tech: it requires practically no infrastructure. Hook a radio up to a battery connected to a solar panel, throw a wire over a tree, and you’re in business. Master digital modes like Winlink and you can even send email over the air. The downside is the equipment is expensive, and you need to take tests with the FCC to obtain the necessary licenses. Your best bet is to contact yournearest ham radio club, who can help prepare you for the tests and recommend the best equipment for your area. But you can do a lot of interesting things even without a license, like listen to worldwide HF transmissions and learn how to track down radio transmitters through foxhunting.

Take home point: pick up a hobby, even if it’s not ham and make it FUN!

6. Russia: Plant a garden.

While the leadership of Russia is commonly maligned, the Russian people are damn tough. They’ve survived Genghis Khan, famines, a communist revolution, and total government collapse. One secret to Russian resiliency? Dacha gardens, which the Russian people have maintained for over 1,000 years. These small backyard gardens account for 3% of Russia’s land but provide over 50% of the country’s food, including 92% of potatoes, 77% of vegetables, 87% of fruit, 59% of meat, and 49% of milk. You don’t have to grow everything overnight, but simply starting with a single raised bed of lettuce and maybe a handful of chickens will give you invaluable real-world experience you can scale when the chips are down.

Take home point: build your resilience in bite-sized (pun intended) chunks.

7. Cyprus: Diversification saves.

During the 2013 financial crisis in Cyprus, Germany agreed to bail out the island, but with some characteristic German austerity: a tax of 6.75 percent from insured deposits up to €100,000 and a 9.9 percent from uninsured amounts over €100,000. People panicked, and Cyprus had to shut down banks for two weeks to avoid a run. Ultimately, depositors lost nearlyhalf of their savings. The crisis in Cyprussparked Bitcoin’s meteoric rise from obscure nerd money to a financial titan as the savvy rich realized that they couldn’t trust the banks. Of course, there are alternative places to store wealth other than a bank, but as for your liquid capital, it pays to diversify. Keep some in cash, Bitcoin, and precious metals.

Take home point: your mother was right, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

8.Japan: Government CAN be helpful.

KAZUHIRO NOGI / Contributor | Getty Images

Japan overall, and Tokyo specifically, take disaster preparedness quite seriously. The 2024 New Years Day earthquake hammered that point home, yet again. At the national level, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force is habitually prepared to respond to calamity; everything from earthquakes to typhoons to tsunamis.

As a country, September 1st is nationally designated as Disaster Prevention Day, commemorating the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake which claimed 140,000 lives. School children, businesses, theme parks, and members of the national government participate annually. At the municipal level, Tokyo publishes a very thorough and thoughtful pamphlet on preparedness for its residents (English link here:https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/english/guide/bosai/index.html). Tokyo also boasts the massive Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park, near downtown, that is used both as a tourist attraction and an actual disaster response site.

Take home point: remembrance, codified in national action and tribute, contributes to a culture of preparedness.

9. Finland, Switzerland, Israel: Bunkers aren't mainstream, but the concept is widespread.

You would really have to be a tinfoil hat wearing loon to invest in a bunker, right? Wrong. Switzerland mandates either a personal bunker or a tax for a space in a public bunker. In 2023, Finland ascertained it had over 50,000 bunkers, enough to shelter nearly 90% of its population. For these countries, the shelters are due to nuclear fears. Israeli law stipulates residential homes should possess a Merkhav Mugan (translation: protected space) to protect from conventional rocket and mortar attacks. Some countries and some areas are at higher risk for conventional or nuclear attack. It is folly to ignore this.

Take home point: the need for a nuclear bunker at home should not be a top prepping priority, but many areas of the US could greatly benefit from a reinforced room (e.g. panic room, tornado, or hurricane shelter) to mitigate threats.

10. United Kingdom, Canada, Australia: International preparedness is growing.

Although the tide is turning (slowly), one negative export from America on prepping, especially to the Western World, is that prepping is fringe and even anti-social, if not downright dangerous. Fortunately, things are changing for the better. The United Kingdom is, at least anecdotally, seeing an uptick in interest. The reality series Alone Australia, a spin-off of the American show where survivalists test their wits in nature, is a hit. A December 2023 survey of Canadians found 7% considered themselves preppers with British Columbia reporting the highest levels. Given wildfires, home prices, and general angst regarding a host of potential crises, it’s not hard to see why many are changing their views regarding preparedness.

Take home point: prepping has been a human staple for millennia; the world is rediscovering this and taking action.

About the authors:

Josh Centers has no masters degrees, but he does own four chickens along with some meat rabbits on his Tennessee compound. He runs unprepared.life, the best-selling Substack newsletter on preparedness, where he discusses subjects like food storage, nuclear war preparations, homeschooling, and the importance of cleaning your dryer vents. His views absolutely do not reflect the views of the Department of Defense or the Army.

Dr. Chris Ellis has four masters degrees and earned his PhD at Cornell University. He is a Colonel in the Army who specializes in a variety of disaster and homeland defense initiatives. His views are from his studies and experience and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Defense, the Army, or his current command. Sadly, Chris does not own any chickens.

5 Christian denominations that have EMBRACED LGBTQ+

New York Daily News Archive / Contributor | Getty Images

The United Methodist Church (UMC) just lost one million members overnight, and they're on their way to losing another 1.5 million in the coming weeks.

Early this May, the UMC, which has been succumbing to the pressures of the progressive mob for years, made one of its biggest concessions to date. At the UMC's general conference meeting in Charlotte, they voted to allow LGBTQ-practicing clergy and reversed their ban on same-sex marriage. For the leaders of the United Methodist Church of Ivory Coast (EMCUI), this was the straw that broke the camel's back, and they voted to withdraw from the United Methodist Church. This was a massive blow to the Church, which has been losing U.S. congregations over the last few years.

The EMCUI's decision to stand up against pressures from the progressive wing of the Church and defend its core values is being reflected in other churches within the UMC. The 1.5 million-member-strong Korean Methodist Church may soon be on its way out of the UMC before long. The controversy stemming from the general conference meeting provoked the following response from the conservative faction within the Korean Methodist Church: "Homosexuality cannot be accepted until the Lord returns. This is not an emotional issue but a matter of unchangeable truth. Homosexuality is clearly a sin."

But the UMC is not alone. There has been a continuing trend of denominations across America changing their stance on LGBTQ matters and condoning gay clergy and gay marriages.

Here are FIVE examples of Christian denominations that have embraced the pride movement:

United Methodist Church (UMC)

The chargeable offenses for clergy being found to be "self-avowed practicing homosexual" or for presiding at a same-sex marriage or union ceremony are deleted.

Rev. Burton Edwards

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)

The [Presbyterian Church U.S.A] apologizes for the church’s previous unwelcoming stance on LGBTQ parishioners, celebrates LGBTQ church pioneers, and states the church will welcome, lift up, and fight for the human rights of all people created in the eyes of God.

Overture 11-13: "On Celebrating the Gifts of People of Diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities in the Life of the Church"

The Episcopal Church

Ordination and the offices of bishop, priest, and deacon are open to all without discrimination. Laypeople and clergy cooperate as leaders at all levels of our church. Leadership is a gift from God and can be expressed by all people in our church, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

The Episcopal Church's statement on "LGBTQ+ in the Church"

United Church of Christ (UCC)

LGBTQIA+ siblings know intimately the nature of being deemed an outcast. The clarion call for LGBTQIA+ advocacy is reverberating from state capitol rotundas, family dinner tables, city streets, and church pews.

The UCC's Love is Louder Campaign

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

We give thanks for the gifts, wisdom, leadership and faith of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors and siblings in Christ. We ask the Spirit to embolden us in advocating for social, institutional and legislative change that reflects justice, total inclusion and God’s boundless love for humanity in all its diversity.

The ELCA's prayer ventures; June 4, 2024

Trump's conviction: Press on for the sake of the republic

The Washington Post / Contributor | Getty Images

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

In today's world, everyone seems to get a trophy, which makes the trophy absolutely worthless. Unless it’s fought for, unless it’s earned and struggled for, the trophy doesn’t belong to you. The same goes for freedom. I’ve never earned the freedom we enjoy in America. I fear I spent too much of my life squandering it. And for what? Ease? Money? Just to go along to get along? A trophy that everybody gets but was never earned?

We must not accept defeat. If we do, we are not worthy of the freedom that is worth fighting for.

I do not accept, nor do I want that trophy. I want one that means something, and that means standing up for something.

Defeat is not an outcome. Defeat is a choice.

We were given an opportunity on Thursday to stand for something: our republic. The weaponization of our government to snuff out Donald Trump’s campaign represents a greater attack against the foundational freedoms that forged our republic: the right to a fair and impartial trial, the right to free and fair elections, the right to defend yourselves against your accusers. Will you stand for it?

Now is the time to decide, and our decision may very well determine whether our republic is heading toward victory or defeat.

I will never say we are finished. I will never utter the words, “We have lost!” Because defeat is not an outcome. Defeat is a choice. It is the choice of the person who is pushed down and refuses to get back up. It is the choice of the person who backs down when pitted against seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The posture of defeat is the one who backs down when things get hard. Will you take that posture? Or will you stand for freedom and rise to the occasion that our republic demands?

It always sucks before you get to the summit. The question is: As you're driving your wagon train over the Rocky Mountains, do you press on? Do you actually have an unwavering belief in our republic? Do you really even know the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution? Do you know why we fight? Because if you don't know, you will lose.

Will enough of us call upon that unyielding spirit that has always been inside us? Will you stand for those values that we’ve been told our whole lives are self-evident? Apparently, they are not self-evident any more, according to our ruling elites.

Our country forged the greatest mission statement the world has ever witnessed, that all people are "endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," where justice and freedom can be had by all.

That is the summit of the mountain we now face, and it is a summit worth pressing forward to reach. We are still on the side of the mountain. We have a long way to go, and last Thursday, they tried to knock us back down. We must ask ourselves today: Do we just go back down? Is this as far as we go? Or do we just say, "Press on, America."

We must press on. We must not accept defeat. If we do, we are not worthy of the freedom that is worth fighting for.